The evangelical megachurch announced the death of the 27-year-old in a statement.

Described as an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many, the statement said Matthew suffered from mental illness that resulted in deep depression and suicidal thoughts. He died Friday night.

My heart goes out to the Warrens. Hmmm, Christian suicide has been coming up in my life lately. A good friend of mine had a close friend of his, a Christian husband, father and high school teacher, commit suicide several weeks ago. It got myself and my Christian groups talking on the subject. If any Christians have some input on the topic I’d like to hear it.

I think Satan attacks Christians most of all. Upon hearing the sad news, I prayed for the Warrens and for all who have loved ones suffering from mental illness. The only issue I have is that I don’t think it’s necessarily chemical. I do think there can be a spiritual dimension. This doesn’t mean I think it’s the depressed person’s fault, but only that I still think we know very little about these disorders.

Mammon strikes back at those that threaten EVIL’s opponents. Rick has done lots of good, so the king of this fallen world extracts an enormous penalty. We should all say a prayer for this lost boy and his family. Perhaps, the contradictions became too much for the poor child. He had no other way to strike back. What a sad situation. I’m heartbroken by their loss. Bring peace, Lord Jesus Peace

That was my thought, too. I’m sure they tried to do everythng to help their son...but I’m wary of all the medications given out like candy to treat depression, anxiety, etc. I do understand that it can be of great benefit...but they put those warnings on the labels for a good reason: A certain percentage of people taking them will have suicidal thoughts. I think the percentage is higher than admitted.

Just went to the funeral of a family member of friends who hanged himself. He was 50 and had battled alcohol and drugs for years. Had a good job and a family who loved him. He was divorced but had a daughter who has two small girls that were not part of his life. Recently became a Christian. Put his parents through hell. They were always bailing him out of one thing or another. I really liked him. Funny and fun to be around if he wasn’t drinking or using drugs. In and out of rehab and jail. Sometimes life just gets to be too much. His parents are having a tough time. I guess it can happen to anybody. So sad.

I think that suicide, like homicidal rampages, are a product of anger mixed with despair.

I believe that everyone has a breaking point. Some of us are stronger and some of us are weaker, but even the strongest among us can be crushed under enough pressure. I think that often it is a choice the person under pressure makes to turn inward instead of turning outward. I look at the person who harms himself instead of harming others as being more altruistic.

I realize that most Christians regard suicide as unforgivable. I believe that only God knows what is in a person’s heart at the last moment and that He is understanding and forgiving. I believe that God understands when a person has reached his breaking point.

That does not mean that I think suicide is an acceptable choice. I think there are always alternatives to harming oneself or harming others. But I do believe that a person who has reached that point is in extreme pain and not thinking clearly and probably no longer capable of thinking clearly.

May God comfort and give strength to the family and friends of these people.

16
posted on 04/06/2013 2:22:53 PM PDT
by generally
(Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)

Some years ago I knew an elderly guy who was given medications by his Mideastern born physician...These drugs drove him to blow nearly his entire retirement...Bad decision after bad decision...The drugs made his extremely manic, obsessive and compulsive...His family stepped in to help..Basically saved his life and future.. Many have no family to help, and many of these people eventually go full tilt loony, causing themselves major problems.

24
posted on 04/06/2013 2:52:18 PM PDT
by dragnet2
(Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)

The admitting part though could make it even worse for the individual in some cases, if those that try to help you end up making matters worse for you in helping you, my gut feeling is that was the case with the son and Rick Warren, it probably was something like this: "Hey son I'm a Christian, that can do no wrong, I love you son now let me hug you, now high five me, now I've got to get off and write my next million dollar share your ignorance best seller book and keep that bacon flowing so we can live the high life promoting socialism."

The best thing the son probably could of done was get away from his own family and environment.

For most of my life, satan attacked me with thoughts of suicide and depression. He would introduce all sorts of “suggestions” on how and why it would be good for me to end it. Glory to God, those days are gone. I got the Word in my spirit, and renewed my mind. It became much easier to recognize those thoughts as from the evil one, and cast them down as the Word commands.

Paul (and John quoting Jesus) wrote, we wrestle not with people, but with spiritual powers that are doing their best to destroy you (John 10:10, Ephesians 6:12). Christians are especially vulnerable if they don’t live from the inside out, be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14), and renew the mind with the Word (Romans 12:2, Colossians 3:10). It also helps to have faith-filled Believers that will pray and stand in faith with you (Ephesians 6).

I hate to see kids fall prey to the devil. But I certainly understand how it happens. There were numerous times I was ready to do it, before being pulled back from the edge by my parent’s prayers. Praise God that Jesus has overcome the world for us! (John 16:33, 2 Timothy 4:18, 1 John 5:4)

Two scriptures that really helped me:
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; — 2 Corinthians 10:5

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:7 — I certainly welcome the Peace of God and ask God to comfort this family accordingly.

One more piece of advice, if anyone you know even jokingly suggests that the world would be better off without them, correct them immediately. Show them how much you and God loves them. If someone is to the point that they would even suggest such a horrible thing, its serious. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

27
posted on 04/06/2013 2:59:34 PM PDT
by Kandy Atz
("Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want for bread.")

My friend’s friend had his problems—bouts with drug abuse, gambling, heretical, twisted views of scripture, but the talks I’ve had with other Christians in the past two weeks is that Christians have hope in Christ to overcome these sins and weaknesses. IOW, how can we lose hope if God is with us? God has certainly pulled me out of the pit numerous times and I have great trust and faith that he will continue to do so (right now he’s giving me strength and courage to finish my taxes...8/ ), so what’s going on when a child of God loses that hope?

This is very sad news, even the ones we think should be most qualified to help individuals battling this kind of illness seem completely powerless to save them. My daughter’s boyfriend’s twin brother took his life Monday, he was only 25 years old. We only met him briefly but he was sweet, kind and gentle also.

It seems that so many of our young adults are trapped in a cycle of conflict, debt, confusion and hopelessness. My daughter struggled against so much conflict and self doubt just after graduating with double masters degrees. She transformed almost overnight from a motivated, tireless, self confident go getter into a mere shell of herself fighting depression daily. It was a full time job just keeping her from descending past the point of no return. Thankfully my wife and I were able to tag team and we believe that she is just now coming out of the dark cloud but we know from experience that it can return with little or no warning.

It’s as if all of the forces of evil are arrayed against us parents trying to bring our children into adulthood. Prayer has been our strongest weapon in the battle.

Pray Pray Pray for our kids.

30
posted on 04/06/2013 3:14:38 PM PDT
by infool7
(The ugly truth is just a big lie.)

I don't suffer depression or have mood swings. I am kinda the same each day. I feel blessed I don't suffer with these issues. I have been around family and friends who suffer deep depression. I don't think one can just say, they are selfish. There's a lot going on in most cases in their minds and they have taken themselves to a place of despair. Improper medication can set a person in a downward path as well. Many have to go through hell to be able to cope with their problems and then learn how to live with the depression either with proper medication and or by turning their pain over to Christ or to a higher place they find their faith and trust in. When I was ten, I use to say people are so dumb to do that. Don't hurt anyone, which I still say. Though, now, I see some go to a place of despair and a experience a complete mental breakdown, leaving their minds broken and their hearts lost. I don't know if the suffering continues. I pray they do not. I know God will love them and show mercy for a mental breakdown because he is a loving force. I feel so sad that their child suffered and didn't get his life back to where he could cope. Very sad.

Warren kept, iirc, at most 10% from the sales of his books. He never claimed to be perfect, either. I don’t follow his ministry or teachings & I’m not defending either. I’m just setting the record straight that, unlike some bestsellers, he donated the vast majority of the proceeds to the church & lived a v modest life. Fwiw.

Suicide is unacceptable to us hypocrites, but slow suicide is all hunky dory.

Are you familiar with the very listenable jazz pianist Bill Evans? A fabulous, genius player, mostly trio work with bass and drums, brilliant, classical music of improvisation. For me, as a woman, having too many Bill Evans CDs is like having too many pairs of shoes: neither possible nor sensible! The music is always good, always positive, always engaging, always as complex as any other classical music. (Evans was educated in classical music.) Except it happens to be jazz. He died at the age of 51 of heroin addiction. One of his jazz fellows described his death as "the world's longest suicide."

I don't know. My late, wonderful father assured me that none of us are going to get out of this alive.

Suicide is between the person's soul and Jesus. Seems to me it's better to focus on one's own relationship with The Man than pronounce that some other schlub is going to burn in eternal hell for snubbing the Almighty with suicide. I can only hope not because we're all weak, and hence I pray for the guy who committed suicide, that Jesus got to him before the end.

And prayers are needed for a nation of moral, God-fearing people pressured to fund on-demand abortion with their labor (money) in the name of national health care. Talk about slow suicide.

Im not a fan of his either but suicide is a terrible tragedy(and a selfish very hurtful thing to do).

Terrible tragedy, yes.

As far as selfish goes, most of what people do is selfish in one way or another.

If you got married, had kids, contributed to a political candidate, go to church every Sunday, give to the poor... if you look deep enough, there's a selfish reason of one kind or another.

A healthy life, in fact, is built on a healthy degree of "selfishness."

Suicide is an effort to escape pain. People who are suicidal just want their pain to stop. They have decided that there's no pain killer on earth that will stop the pain, and the only recourse for stopping the pain is death.

So yes, they're probably thinking about themselves and not so much about other people. But it's hard to think about other people's feelings and needs when your hand is on a red-hot burner.

I’m not a jazz fan, but after reading your post I’ll have to check out Bill Evans. Thank goodness for Spotify.

Your point about slow suicide taken. It doesn’t really require heroin addiction, depression and abandonment will do just fine (probably in reverse order.) Those who do it the quick method don’t deserve our condemnation. It is not they who are “selfish” (as if the dead could be selfish!), it is we, poor things (selfish), who blame the suicides for hurting our precious feelings, when it was ultimately we who failed them!

That was my thought, too. Im sure they tried to do everythng to help their son...but Im wary of all the medications given out like candy to treat depression, anxiety, etc. I do understand that it can be of great benefit...but they put those warnings on the labels for a good reason: A certain percentage of people taking them will have suicidal thoughts. I think the percentage is higher than admitted.

Several things about medications. First of all the source of the depression needs to be investigated as deep as possible and that included an extensive medical history work up as well as an extensive physical. Depression and Anxiety both can also be caused by numerous physical or neurological issues that antidepressants can actually make worse.

49
posted on 04/06/2013 9:36:27 PM PDT
by cva66snipe
(Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)

Im not a fan of his either but suicide is a terrible tragedy(and a selfish very hurtful thing to do).

The person that commits suicide never says it's a selfish thing to do, at least none that I know about.

The U.S. government/taxes, the medical establishment, and the family that has to pay the funeral bills etc. might say it's a selfish act under their breath. Other then that I don't see it as a selfish act, I think that is something our medical establishment has come up with so they can keep seeing you and selling you the happy pills.

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